Deer Run fairgrounds NOT IN Ambrose Park, NEAR Ambrose Park

Bureau of Land Management officials have not yet been approached about a Carson City proposal to place the city's fairgrounds on land east of the Carson River and Ambrose Nature Area off Deer Run Road.

"It's pure speculation at this point," said Mark Struble, BLM spokesman. "This is a popular area. We'll entertain anything the city wants to talk about. What the end result would be, I don't know."

Parks and Recreation Director Steve Kastens said the proposal is in its infancy, and he is still trying to gather opinions from fairground users on the proposal.

A conceptual plan for the site shows the roughly 30-acre site just east of Ambrose Park and the Carson River with all the amenities planned for a relocated fairgrounds, including arena, barns, RV park, turf area, playground and extra parking.

The proposal would not include development in Ambrose Park or in the Carson River flood plain.

Months ago when the Fuji Park and Fairgrounds Users Coalition was looking at fairground relocation sites, the Deer Run Road site was at the top of their list. However, the cost of extending sewer and water service to the site pushed the cost of development there too high to be considered.

City officials are looking at digging wells in the Pi-on Hills area in the next couple of years, which makes the site more appealing for the fairgrounds.

The future of the fairgrounds have been in limbo since the city decided to sell 18 acres of unused Fuji Park property to Costco in December 1999. Sandwiched between Costco to the north and, this year, Wal-Mart to the south, city leaders saw the fairgrounds and park as valuable commercial property.

Amid public outcry, supervisors in August decide to save and improve Fuji Park and continue to market the fairgrounds. The controversial issue came to a head Jan. 3 when, in the face of a 3,400-signature petition requesting an ordinance to protect the park and fairgrounds forever, supervisors decided they needed an advisory vote on the issue.

Kastens said the only improvements to Fuji Park that will be made will benefit both the park and fairgrounds. Improvements that just benefit the park are on hold pending the vote.